Mistletoe contains molecules that can kill cancer cells and support the body’s natural ability to fight them. It also has been shown to improve quality of life and reduce side effects from chemotherapy. However, clinical trials assessing mistletoe’s effectiveness have produced mixed results. This is mainly due to poor study designs.
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It Strengthens the Immune System
How does mistletoe therapy work? Mistletoe contains molecules that can kill cancer cells and stimulate the body’s natural immune response. This makes it an effective complementary cancer therapy for patients who are receiving chemotherapy. In vitro, studies have shown that Viscum album L. (mistletoe) extracts have cytotoxic effects and inhibit the growth of tumors in laboratory animals. Lectins, the main anticancer molecules of mistletoe, function as ligands for pattern recognition receptors of the natural immune system. Once docked to these receptors, lectins induce apoptosis in cancer cells, a type comparable to natural cell death. Other anticancer substances of mistletoe include viscotoxins, phenolic acids, flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, and fatty acids. It is thought that the different groups of molecules work together in synergy to promote the anticancer activity of mistletoe. In one study, the combination of 30 months of mistletoe treatment and chemotherapy significantly improved patients’ quality of life with advanced cancer. In addition, the mistletoe treatment also reduced symptoms of fatigue and sleepiness and improved appetite, nausea and vomiting, depression and anxiety, and side effects of traditional treatments. Patients receive mistletoe injections under the skin using a tiny insulin syringe. They typically receive the injections at six-week intervals or as their naturopathic oncologist recommends.
It Relieves Pain
With cutting-edge surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy defining modern oncology, many seek alternative therapies that may improve treatment outcomes and quality of life. One of those therapies is medicinal mistletoe (Viscum album L.). This semiparasitic plant has been used by naturopathic healers and is based on anthroposophical medicine, which was developed in the early twentieth century by philosopher Rudolf Steiner. He believed that cancer results from bodily imbalances, including spiritual ones. He formulated a fermented mistletoe preparation that’s still used today. A recent study of mistletoe published in the journal Cancer Immunology found that it stimulates a patient’s natural immune responses and can prevent or reduce the side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, such as hair loss, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and weakness. It can also help reduce pain and make it more bearable because it stimulates the release of endorphins, the body’s natural morphine-like chemicals. Researchers don’t fully understand how it works, but they suspect it may help patients better tolerate and recover from their medical treatments by enhancing their immune systems. Viscum album contains low-molecular compounds, including lectins and viscotoxins, that act on cells to trigger changes in the genetic material. This makes the treatment cytotoxic, killing cancerous cells and preventing them from growing. Several other chemical components, such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, membrane lipids, and alkaloids, are also considered to play a role.
It Restored Circadian Rhythm
Mistletoe is widely used in Europe, where naturopathic healers use it to treat cancer. These healers, heavily influenced by traditional folk medicine, believe the body has its natural healing process. They try to support it with natural remedies like mistletoe. The immune system attacks and kills abnormal cells, including cancer cells. However, cancer treatments often suppress the immune system to prevent side effects like hair loss and nausea. This can leave the body vulnerable to infections and other complications. Laboratory and animal studies are the first step in discovering whether a substance has anticancer properties. These studies help researchers understand the biological mechanisms that make a substance work. A clinical trial is the next step in determining if a treatment works in people. These studies follow strict scientific guidelines to reduce bias and ensure the accuracy of the results. In a recent study, scientists found that mistletoe extracts inhibit the growth of human cancer cells in vitro. Mistletoe is a semiparasitic plant that grows on various trees, such as apple, oak, pine, and fir. It has been used in traditional medicine for centuries to treat conditions like epilepsy, asthma, hypertension, menopausal symptoms, and rheumatism. The study found that therapeutic use of mistletoe re-establishes the circadian rhythm and increases core temperature by about 0.6deg C, which counteracts the low blood circulation and cold hands and feet experienced by many cancer patients.
It Boosted Energy
Mistletoe Therapy is based on the principles of anthroposophical medicine, which was developed in the early twentieth century by philosopher Rudolf Steiner. Steiner believed that spiritual imbalances caused cancer and that mistletoe would help correct those imbalances. His product was derived from fermented mistletoe and is still one of the leading products used in modern anthroposophic medicine. Even though it is still not FDA-approved as a cancer treatment, mistletoe has been used for decades in Europe as part of a complementary medicine approach to cancer alone or in combination with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Preclinical studies suggest mistletoe can reduce tumor size, kill cancer cells and stimulate the immune system. However, clinical trials on mistletoe therapy in cancer patients have been conflicting. Paller notes this is mainly because many of these trials could be better designed. Furthermore, different mistletoe preparations contain different proportions of pharmacologically active compounds since various host trees are involved in the extraction process, and extracts are prepared from different plant parts. Researchers are now working on determining how exactly mistletoe exerts its anticancer effects. They are looking into the synergistic interaction of various secondary metabolites and their role in cell-signaling pathways. They also analyze the impact of different extracts and use different solvents to obtain mistletoe compounds.
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